Page 53 of The Vampire King's War

“Our prince is controlled and skilled. One wonders what he will be able to do as he grows,” Rajani mused.

“Uhm, guys, I’m here. Hello!” Julian reminded them and then he shook the boy corpse. “And so is Kaly.”

Arcius and Rajani regarded the dead child with Vampiric interest. Their silver eyes were glowing softly. They didn’t blink. He saw Arcius’ nostrils flare. Julian guessed that they knew more about this boy than he did. The boy’s eyes flickered between them, though he was not struggling any longer.

“Kaly…” Rajani finally said. She spoke the Immortal’s name as if it had an acidic twist.

“This cannot be one of the bodies that Kaly inhabits!” Arcius stated.

“This isn’t one of Kaly’s forms. Just… just a poor dead boy that Kaly unearthed from his grave after his parents, his family, his friends put him into the ground not that long ago for the long sleep,” Julian spat out. “Until you had him crawl out again, you bastard.”

Kaly regarded him silently. He could not read the thoughts behind those cataract-colored eyes.

“Kaly then had this boy kill one of the officers who then killed the other and then Kaly took them over as well,” Julian explained. “They were building a little army.”

“Clever. Your enemies’ bodies become your soldiers meaning every person they lose, you gain one,” Arcius murmured, stroking his beard.

“Yeah, clever is one way to look at it.” Julian glared at the corpse.

Kaly smiled blackly at him.

“And you took out these three officers with your bare hands, Julian?” Rajani asked as she toed one of the officer’s limbs.

“Yeah. It was… really natural.” Julian grimaced. Was natural the word he wanted to use? Maybe not, but it was true.

“He fights well,” Kaly finally spoke.

“And you fight dirty,” Julian stated flatly.

“You are so very new,” Kaly stated. “You actually care for these mortals. That will change, you know. As the years pass, you will see less of yourself in them and won’t be able to understand them at all.”

“So you’re saying that I will become like you?” Julian asked with his right eyebrow lifted.

“Not exactly like me. No, but this will happen.”

“I don’t think you ever felt anything for anyone so you can’t possibly understand why I care for others, mortals or immortals,” Julian told Kaly. “That’s why you are only able to attract those to you through fear or insanity.”

“Kara was not insane,” Kaly said.

“Yes, she was.” Julian’s hands tightened on the boy’s throat. He felt the skin begin to give and he backed off. “Her soul was sick.”

Kaly’s eyes widened. “Soul sickness? I have never heard of such a thing. It sounds like romantic nonsense.”

“No, again, it’s just something you could never understand. You spread it,” Julian said with disgust.

“Do not speak with him, Julian,” Arcius stated with a frown on his lips. “Kaly is a disease.”

“You are Confessor! To speak to an Immortal so disrespectfully! You’ll have to be excommunicated,” Kaly hissed.

“A new Order is rising, Kaly. You will not even be mentioned,” Arcius said.

“Not even as its Devil?” Kaly mocked.

“No, you are not so important,” Arcius said and those words seemed to actually cut Kaly.

Kaly went silent.

“Perhaps you should just… end this thing like you did the others, Julian?” Rajani suggested. “Speaking of the others, all of this will have to be cleaned up.”

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